Gaddi tribal Neelam Devi has a business plan. As chairperson of Duggan Block Development Council (BDC), she is focusing all her energies on creating a tourist hotspot in this remote area of Bani Tehsil in Kathua district.
The locals have a greal deal of respect for Neelam Devi, who wants to harness the tourism potential in her remote village
“Nature has bestowed us with beautiful landscapes and valleys,” she points out. “If we do not have basic amenities for tourists, nobody would bother to pay a visit.”
Middle-aged and under-qualified, Neelam Devi nonetheless commands great respect among the locals. She believes a change at ground level is essential – not only for harnessing tourism potential but also for providing employment to the idle youth in the area.
“I have submitted separate proposals for constructing tourist huts and ensuring better road connectivity under different schemes,” she details. “During the winter, we remain cut off from the outside world for over two months. We have to stock up on essential items and sustain ourselves. We need support from the government so all-weather roads are constructed and most of the area remains accessible.”
“I am spending every penny I have received so far very judiciously on projects for the common masses,” says Neelam Devi. She has proposed construction of lane drains and healthcare facilities too.
Neelam Devi’s ambitious blueprint for the region can be surprising, considering she comes from a community where the girl child was never educated till quite recently. She herself has only studied till class X and was married at a tender age.
Her husband, Moolraj, is a government teacher and Neelam herself was mother to her three children and a dedicated homemaker for many years.
Then, the villagers motivated her to contest for the post of the sarpanch of Bhullari village. Neelam Devi won and began working for the villagers, who next pushed her to try for the BDC. She won that election too – by a margin of over 150 votes – and was made chairperson.
“I was elected to the post as the locals reposed their faith in me and motivated me to fight for their rights. It’s a huge responsibility and I cannot let go of the opportunity,” she reminds both herself and us.
